COVID-19 Compilation
November 13, 2020
Iowa
At 10 a.m. Thursday, Iowa was reporting that there are 170,358 confirmed cases of coronavirus, an increase of 4,337 since the state's tally at 10 a.m. Wednesday. On Sunday, the state surpassed 150,000 cases. The state was reporting 1,928 COVID-19-related deaths at 10 a.m. Thursday, an increase of 30 deaths since 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to the state's Coronavirus.Iowa.gov website. The seven-day rolling average of deaths is now 18 deaths per day, the highest it has ever been in Iowa. The total number of people tested is 1,068,268, according to the state. Of the people who have tested positive, 105,357 have recovered.
Along with COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases increasing dramatically, hospitalizations continue to see record numbers. On Wednesday, 1,208 people were hospitalized in Iowa, up from 1,190 the day prior. The state updates its website each evening with that day's hospitalization data. Also, there were 215 patients in the ICU, up from 210 the day prior. There were 101 patients on ventilators, down from 104 the day prior. From Tuesday to Wednesday, 207 patients were admitted, down from 230 the day before. Additionally, the state on Thursday was reporting 15.9% positive since the pandemic started. Iowa's 14-day average was 22.1% positive, according to the state.
Of Iowa's 99 counties, 93 had a 14-day positivity rate above 15% on Thursday. Another four counties were reporting between 10% and 15%. Polk County, the state's most populous, was at 19.0%. Two counties -- Clarke and Ringgold -- were was reporting below 10%. Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on mask use, saying that masks benefit the wearer, as well as helping to protect those around them. The previous guidance focused on the ability of masks to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The CDC also stated that increasing the proportion of people who wear masks by 15 percent could prevent the need for lockdowns and cut associated economic losses of up to $1 trillion.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to allocate initial doses of Eli Lilly and Company’s investigational monoclonal antibody therapeutic, bamlanivimab, which received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration November 9 for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients with mild or moderate confirmed cases of COVID- 19. The federal government announced a purchase of 300,000 doses of bamlanivimab on October 28; a data-driven system will ensure fair and equitable distribution of these new products to state and territorial health departments. President-elect Biden formed a special COVID-19 transition team, which is expected to lay the groundwork for a White House coronavirus team after the inauguration. The group, whose members have not been publicly announced yet, consists of 52 transition officials that cover a wide swath of federal agencies, and is largely separate from the coronavirus task force the President-elect announced on Monday. The team covers three specialties – domestic, national security/foreign policy, and tech strategy delivery – and first met virtually on Tuesday. The domestic group includes Sarah Bianchi, a top economic and domestic policy aide to Biden when he was vice president; the national security/foreign policy group is headed by Rebecca Katz, director of Georgetown’s Center for Global Health Science and Security, and Dylan George; the tech strategy delivery is led by Mina Hsiang of the health care firm Devoted Health and Amy Pitelka, a tech legal and policy specialist. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that the Trump Administration will take a step back from negotiations over the next round of federal coronavirus relief legislation, and that Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will become the de facto lead Republican negotiator and replace Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sec. Mnuchin have been engaged in negotiations for months in an effort to reach an agreement, but Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on a path forward. President-elect Biden spoke with Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about the “urgent need” for Congress to pass a lame duck stimulus bill. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration hosted a virtual Grand Rounds: Facial Coverings During the COVID-19 Pandemic: How well do they Flatten the Curve? The presentation provided an overview of the FDA’s research to evaluate the ability of facial coverings to reduce the spread of infection and how the FDA is developing a comprehensive risk-assessment tool to predict the probability of infection with individuals wearing a non-surgical face mask or cloth face covering; given the characteristics of non-surgical face masks, the population, and the pathogen. As of today, 288 tests are authorized by the FDA under EUAs: these include 223 molecular tests, 58 antibody tests, and 7 antigen tests. The CDC has published and updated a significant number of COVID-19 materials and resources on their dashboard. To point to just a few:
o Celebrating Thanksgiving
o The Impact of COVID-19 During Pregnancy
o Risk Assessment and Management of COVID-19 Among Travelers at U.S. Airports
o Frequently Asked Questions
Several members and associates of the Trump Administration have recently tested positive for COVID-19. These include White House Director of Political Affairs Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner, Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski, and three other unnamed White House officials. These are in addition to the earlier week’s announcement that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and HUD Secretary Ben Carson have tested positive. Additionally, Rep. Don Young (R-AK), the oldest member of the House of Representatives at 87, announced on Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19. The FDA will host a virtual Town Hall for SARS-CoV-2 test developers. The purpose of this Town Hall is to help answer technical questions about the development and validation of tests for SARS-CoV-2. The Town Halls will take place:
o Nov. 18, 12:15 PM
o Dec. 2, 12:15 PM
o Dec. 9, 12:15 PM
o Dec. 16, 12:15 PM
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and HUD Sec. Ben Carson have both tested positive for COVID-19.
Updates from the States Out of the cases under investigation detected by U.S. surveillance, there are 10,314,254 total cases and 241,069 deaths. The CDC data closes out the day before reporting. Across the U.S., COVID-19 cases are up 41 percent, hospitalizations are up 20 percent and deaths are up 23 percent, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The U.S. reported over 143,000 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, breaking yet another single-day record for new cases. California reported its millionth coronavirus case on Thursday, joining Texas as one of only two states that have reported one million active cases. On Wednesday, 65,368 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, according to The Washington Post, a figure that has doubled in a little over a month. Hospitalizations are straining health-care systems across the country. Hospitals in Utah are at 87.5 percent capacity. Hospitals across Wisconsin are canceling elective surgeries and making difficult choices as they cope with an influx of patients. The Mayo Clinic Health System said Wednesday that its hospitals in northwest Wisconsin are at full capacity. Aurora Health Care, which operated drive-thru and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites across Wisconsin, announced it was temporarily shutting down all its community testing sites so that the dwindling number of available staffers can focus on “providing patient care at the bedside.” In Illinois, the rate of new COVID-19 infections is so high that a group of doctors sent an urgent letter to the governor. “We’re having to almost decide who gets treatment and who doesn’t,” said one of its leaders. Schools across the country are grappling with the severe increase in COVID-19 cases. Detroit’s public school system announced on Thursday that it would shift to online, remote learning until January. In Iowa, where cases have nearly tripled over the last two weeks, multiple districts — including Des Moines, West Des Moines and Iowa City — received waivers from the state this week to switch to remote learning. School districts in several cities have put reopening plans on hold, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Boston, Anchorage, and Minneapolis. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday that she will impose a 10-person limit on parties, weddings, and other social events beginning next week. A stay-at-home order in El Paso County, Texas, that has faced legal challenges has been extended through Dec. 1. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Wednesday that the state will be sending more personal protective equipment, increasing bed capacity at an alternative care facility, and adding more military personnel as needed in the county. To address a shortage in medical staff across the state, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) announced that medical workers who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic should continue working. On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced new COVID-19 mitigation measures. Private indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people, and gyms, restaurants, and bars must close at 10 PM, though restaurants can provide curbside food pick- up or delivery past 10 PM. The rules take effect Friday night. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued a statewide mask mandate and new restrictions on social gatherings, requiring wedding and celebration attendees to remain seated and masked unless actively eating or drinking. In addition, university students will transition to remote learning following Thanksgiving. California's Sacramento, San Diego, and Stanislaus counties are moving to the most restrictive COVID-19 tier established by the state which prohibits indoor dining and access to gyms. Los Angeles County is already in the most restrictive tier. On Wednesday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced he is extending a mask mandate in three additional counties. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed an executive order on Tuesday to reduce the number of people who can gather indoors to 10 people, down from 25, in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Tuesday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) extended the state’s public health emergency for 30 days and prohibited gatherings of more than 25 people indoors, or 100 people outdoors, at social, community, recreational, or sporting gatherings, unless all people over the age of 2 wear a mask. Masks are now required to be worn by customers and employees at businesses that provide personal services including salons, barber shops, massage therapy, tattoos, and tanning. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced new COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday. Starting Friday, there will be a 10-person limit on indoor and outdoor private social gatherings that include a maximum of three households. Receptions for events like funerals and weddings will be limited to 50 people as of Nov. 27, and 25 as of Dec. 11, and will be prohibited from occurring between 10 PM and 4 AM. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) reimposed COVID-19 restrictions for the first time since the start of the pandemic, reducing indoor dining capacity from 75 percent to 50 percent, urging a 25- person cap on indoor gatherings, and issuing a heighted travel advisory that prohibits nonessential travel to 35 states. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) urged residents of their states to stay at home and avoid interactions with others, warning the COVID-19 pandemic in their states has reached crisis levels. Rep. Don Young of (R-AK), the oldest member of the House, announced on Thursday he tested positive for COVID-19. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) entered quarantine Thursday after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus. Useful state data:
o Use Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 U.S. map as a resource for media, policymakers, and communities to view a collection of critical public health data in one online destination and better understand and track the COVID-19 pandemic in populations both large and small across the country.
o NASHP has developed a COVID-19 State Action Center which serves as a state-level policy dashboard. Governing is also keeping a running tally of coronavirus news and impacts at the intersection of the health and economic crises in the states and localities.
o This site from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides state-level information on cases/deaths, social distancing measures, health policy actions, and more.
o This series of maps shows how states are responding to COVID-19, and this tracker, created and maintained by MultiState Associates, has an up-to-date list of executive orders and various travel restrictions.
Military/Defense
A new study released Wednesday revealed that many military personnel and recruits who test positive for COVID-19 show no symptoms at all, suggesting that asymptomatic spread has likely played a big role in outbreaks. A new study on the COVID-19 outbreak that spread on the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear- powered aircraft carrier, determined that transmission was facilitated by close-quarters conditions and asymptomatic and presymptomatic infected crew members. A public health expert whom President-elect Biden named to his coronavirus advisory board said Tuesday that he is “concerned” about military plans to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. “Remember, this vaccine has to be kept at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit ... we don't have refrigeration operations like that out here and there have been very few resources provided to states and local health departments to go beyond the initial planning." According to a new VA report, suicides and suicide attempts among veterans declined during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This news follows previous reporting that showed a 30 percent spike in active duty suicides in the Army and a 20 percent increase in overall military suicides this year. In a project unveiled Tuesday, researchers are RTI are working with Garmin with the support of DARPA to determine if collecting more data from wearable devices at more frequent intervals improves disease detection. According to an analysis by ProPublica, most states aren’t ready to distribute Pfizer’s vaccine, citing the vaccine’s requirement to be stored in ultra-cold temperatures. The Utah National Guard is now coordinating with the state to help expand testing and contact tracing related to Utah’s new COVID-19 emergency order.
International Affairs
Here is the most recent edition of the WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Update and here is the most recent edition of the WHO's Weekly Operational Update. Africa's top public health official said the continent of 1.3 billion people has seen an average 8 percent rise in new COVID-19 cases over the past month. On Wednesday, the U.K. became the first country in the European region to top 50,000 COVID- 19 deaths. For the first time since August, New Zealand has identified a case of COVID-19 with no known link to government-supervised quarantine facilities, suggesting possible community transmission. Almost two weeks into a second national lockdown, the surge of coronavirus cases in France appears to be slowing. France has reported an average of 25,000 new COVID-19 cases per day since the beginning of the week, which is about half as many as last week. Germany is seeing tentative signs that a surge in coronavirus infections may be easing, officials said Thursday. The E.U. has increased its support for COVAX, a global fund that aims to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have access to a COVID-19 vaccine. The bloc’s total contribution is 500 million euros. As of now, 184 countries — 92 of them low- and middle-income economies — participate in COVAX, which has a goal to procure 2 billion doses of a vaccine by the end of 2021. Hungarian authorities are preparing a temporary six-month import permit to carry out tests and trials of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. A video showing a man lying dead on the floor of a bathroom inside a packed Naples emergency room incited outrage as it spread across Italy on Thursday, prompting government officials to call for “immediate intervention” as the coronavirus pandemic ripples across the country’s vulnerable south. Italy on Wednesday surpassed one million total coronavirus cases. More than half of those people are still positive and many of them live in Italy’s south, which is poorer and less equipped to handle an outbreak than the wealthier north. Lebanon is imposing a new lockdown that will shut many businesses and limit road traffic until Nov. 30 as the country tries to limit a spike in coronavirus cases that has stretched hospital resources. Dozens of hospital workers have held protests at hospitals in Greece, demanding the hiring of more medical staff as the country struggles to contain a resurgence of the coronavirus. On Wednesday, four days after the country went into a second lockdown to curb a surge in COVID- 19 cases, authorities extended a 9 PM to 5 AM curfew nationwide. Portugal announced the expansion of a nightly curfew and weekend lockdown already in place across more than 100 municipalities to a further 77 areas as it scrambles to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across Canada, the western province of Manitoba implemented sweeping restrictions on Thursday. The orders closed most stores other than groceries and pharmacies, sports fields and playgrounds, bars, cinemas, and theaters. Restaurants are limited to takeout service and a maximum of five people may gather indoors or outdoors. In Northern Ireland, officials announced that the reopening of cafes and close-contact services such as hairdressers will be delayed by a week and the reopening of bars and restaurants serving alcohol will be delayed by two weeks. Sweden will ban alcohol sales in bars and restaurants after 10 PM and require all business that serve alcohol to close no later than 10:30 PM beginning Nov. 20, pending approval from its parliament. Turkey has imposed a nationwide smoking ban in public spaces as the country grapples with a dramatic spike in coronavirus cases. The smoking ban is intended to prevent people from pulling down their masks “in areas where our citizens are densely gathered,” including public squares and places like bus stops. All kindergartens and day care centers in Hong Kong will close for two weeks as a precaution, health officials said on Thursday, citing a cluster of more than 100 upper respiratory tract infections. So far, no students or teachers have tested positive for the coronavirus, but some have symptoms that are associated with it. University students in England will be given a seven-day window next month to travel home before Christmas, with school campuses providing mass testing before they leave. All schools and other educational institutions in Bangladesh will remain closed until Dec. 19. Senegalese children resumed classes today after the government closed schools in March in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus in the west African nation. South Africa will open travel to all countries and restore normal trading hours of alcohol, despite having the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the continent. Spain will demand a negative COVID-19 test for all travelers arriving from countries with a high risk for coronavirus beginning Nov. 23. The tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was hospitalized after he contracted the coronavirus this week. Pope Francis is offering free coronavirus tests for Rome’s poor and homeless as part of the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor activities. Athletes traveling to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics next summer will not be subject to the 14- day quarantine requirement, organizers said Thursday, though they must test negative before and in some cases after they arrive. Global Cases: 51,848,261 Total Deaths: 1,280,868
Lifestyle, Science, and Economy
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on Tuesday that Medicare beneficiaries can receive coverage of monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 with no cost- sharing during the public health emergency. The coverage of these antibody infusions applies to bamlanivimab, which received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday. CMS anticipates that health care providers will receive first priority for this antibody product. A new study published by the journal Nature found that 8 in 10 new infections in the early months of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic resulted from exposure in restaurants, gyms, cafes, and other crowded indoor venues. A team of researchers from Stanford University and Northwestern University created a computer model that accurately predicted the spread of COVID-19 in 10 major cities this spring by analyzing three factors that drive infection risk: where people go in the course of a day, how long they linger and how many other people are visiting the same place at the same time. The study utilized cellphone mobility data from 10 major U.S. cities from March to May. The high cost of ultra-cold freezer units to store what will likely be the first approved COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer will put rural hospitals at a disadvantage. While the CDC has advised state health departments against purchasing ultra-cold freezers under the expectation that vaccines with less demanding storage requirements will be soon available, several large health care systems with larger budgets have purchased or leased these units. Many rural hospitals cannot afford these freezers, which means that health care workers and residents may have difficulty distributing and receiving the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control recommended community use of masks to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, the CDC recommended non-valved multi-layer cloth masks, which are primarily intended to reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets and reduce potential inhalation of infected droplets. A new publication from CDC’s MMWR found that COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g., stay-at- home orders and public mask mandate) and fundamental public health interventions (e.g., case investigations and contact tracing with prompt isolation or quarantine) are primary approaches to preventing and controlling SARS-CoV-2 community transmission. The report stated that “The combination of state-mandated community mitigation efforts and routine public health interventions can reduce the occurrence of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.” Several medical researchers commented on racial disproportionality in COVID-19 clinical trials, specifically SIMPLE-Severe and SIMPLE-Moderate trials of remdesivir. The researchers concluded that U.S. minority populations have been disproportionality affected by COVID-19 and that the proportion of minorities enrolled in the SIMPLE trials was similar to the national distribution of patients with COVID-19 in concurrent databases. Operation Warp Speed, the federal program on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, announced in October that it set aside $375 million to purchase 300,000 doses of bamlanivimab, with an option to purchase another $650,000 doses through next summer. However, demand for the drug will likely outstrip this year’s supply. Through the end of this year, manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co expects to make 1 million doses for use around the globe. Operation Warp Speed officials walked through some solutions for rationing the drug Monday, which they said took into account how to distribute it most ethically. The administration said it had learned from its challenges with allocating the antiviral drug remdesivir, which was characterized by a confusing and opaque allocation system. A new publication from CDC’s MMWR found evidence that suggests the potential health complications after COVID-19 illness might require ongoing clinical care. The study said that after discharge from an initial COVID-19 hospitalization, 9 percent of patients were readmitted to the same hospital within 2 months, and multiple readmissions occurred in 1.6 percent of patients. Risk factors for readmission included age ≥65 years, presence of certain chronic conditions, hospitalization within the 3 months preceding the first COVID-19 hospitalization, and discharge to a skilled nursing facility or with home health care. A study determined that diabetes is associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19. More than 540 students at the University of Connecticut are under quarantine as of Wednesday amid increased COVID-19 cases on and off campus. The governors of seven northeastern states agreed on Thursday to suspend interstate youth hockey competitions for the rest of the year after outbreaks were linked to games. On Wednesday, biotechnology company Moderna announced that it has completed case accrual for the first interim analysis of the Phase 3 COVE study of mRNA-1273, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Moderna has seen a significant increase in the rate of case identification across sites in the last week. As a result, the Company expects the first interim analysis will include substantially more than 53 cases, the targeted trigger point for the analysis. The data on these cases is being prepared for submission to the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for analysis and recommendation. Moderna remains blinded to whether these participants received vaccine or placebo. Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted positive data from Moderna, which is developing a second COVID- 19 vaccine, following positive news earlier this week from Pfizer. He also said that the results from Pfizer, which demonstrated 90 percent efficacy in its most recent trial, was better than he had hoped. A study added new symptoms to the generally recognized symptoms of COVID-19. According to the study, warnings can include weakness, poor blood sugar control, and gastrointestinal complaints. Researchers found COVID-19 in 57.5% of patients who went to the hospital because of weakness, falls, or altered mental status, in 55.5% of those who came in because their blood sugar was out of control, and in 51.4% of patients whose chief complaint was a gastrointestinal problem. Patients over the age of 65 tended to have more atypical complaints such as diarrhea, fatigue and weakness. Patients with dehydration, altered mental status, falls and high blood sugar were at higher risk for death in the study. A new publication in CDC’s MMWR found that beginning in April 2020, the proportion of children’s mental health-related emergency department visits among all pediatric emergency department visits increased and remained elevated through October. Compared with 2019, the proportion of mental health–related visits for children aged 5–11 and 12–17 years increased approximately 24 percent and 31 percent, respectively. Several college football games have been postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests and subsequent quarantine of players and staff. Several SEC matchups, including games between No. 24 Auburn and Mississippi State, No. 1 Alabama and LSU, Tennessee and No. 5 Texas A&M, and No. 12 Georgia and Missouri were originally scheduled for this Saturday but will now be rescheduled. Matchups in other conferences, including the ACC, Big Ten, and Mountain West have also been postponed. The WHO keeps a running list of COVID-19 vaccine candidates, which you can view here. STAT News also has a resource tracking COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. The New York Times has a very helpful vaccine tracker as well, which you can view here. The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has an extensive list of commercial and lab- developed tests. Continue to look at the NIH Office of Portfolio Analysis’s (OPA) expert-curated portfolio of COVID-19 publications and preprints. The portfolio includes peer-reviewed articles from PubMed and preprints from medRxiv, bioRxiv, ChemRxiv, and arXiv. It is updated daily with the latest available data and enables users to explore and analyze the rapidly growing set of advances in COVID-19 research. Helpful Articles/Media
Here is the most recent COVIDView from CDC, a weekly summary and interpretation of key indicators that have been adapted to track the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. And here is the most recent COVID-19 Science Update from the CDC. 60 Minutes did a session on OWS on Sunday evening Persistence and Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in an Immunocompromised Host Audio Interview: An Update from Operation Warp Speed NIH Videocast: Ethical & Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research Session 7: COVID COVID Misinformation a Roadblock to Curbing Pandemic Health experts want to prioritize people of color for a Covid-19 vaccine. But how should it be done? Four reasons for encouragement based on Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine results Covid-19, Ebola, and HIV — Leveraging Lessons to Maximize Impact Advisers To CDC Debate How COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Rolled Out Association between SARS-CoV-2 infection, exposure risk and mental health among a cohort of essential retail workers in the USA Will a small, long-shot U.S. company end up producing the best coronavirus vaccine? Effect of Timing of and Adherence to Social Distancing Measures on COVID-19 Burden in the United States From the NIH Record: What We’ve Learned About Coronavirus Pathophysiology Estimating risk of airborne COVID-19 with mask usage, social distancing Update Alert 3: Masks for Prevention of Respiratory Virus Infections, Including SARS-CoV-2, in Health Care and Community Settings Airborne Transmission of COVID-19: Q&A with Jonathan Samet Watch a coronavirus vaccine update with Dr. Paul Offit Reimagining America’s Infectious-Disease Defense Researchers Find Doubts About COVID-19 Vaccine Among People Of Color Understanding COVID-19 vaccine efficacy Herd Immunity and Implications for SARS-CoV-2 Control Saying human trials aren’t enough, researchers call for comparison of COVID-19 vaccines in monkeys Why Covid-19’s Impact on Health Is a Long-Term Worry Long-term Health Consequences of COVID-19 The pandemic poses risks for older doctors. Some are retiring early in response. Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke about "COVID-19: Public Health and Scientific Challenges" at the virtual 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition- read about it here. Why people with diabetes are being hit so hard by Covid-19 Delaying Pregnancy during a Public Health Crisis — Examining Public Health Recommendations for Covid-19 and Beyond Nearly Two-Thirds Of U.S. Households Struck By COVID-19 Face Financial Trouble Convalescent Plasma for the Treatment of COVID-19: Perspectives of the National Institutes of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel How the Pandemic Transformed This Songbird’s Call It’s Time to Put Children and Young People First During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19 data on Native Americans is ‘a national disgrace.’ This scientist is fighting to be counted Reimagining Nursing Homes in the Wake of COVID-19 Advances In ICU Care Are Saving More Patients Who Have COVID-19 Structural Racism, Social Risk Factors, and Covid-19 — A Dangerous Convergence for Black Americans Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: A Review of Viral, Host, and Environmental Factors Covid-19: Do many people have pre-existing immunity? Disinfection dangers: How to avoid viruses without exposing yourself to toxics The AstraZeneca/Oxford University Phase 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Trial – Why Was It Paused? Assessing a novel, lab-free, point-of-care test for SARS-CoV-2 (CovidNudge): a diagnostic accuracy study Urban Hospitals of Last Resort Cling to Life in Time of COVID Some Urban Hospitals Face Closure Or Cutbacks As The Pandemic Adds To Fiscal Woes As COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Move At Warp Speed, Recruiting Black Volunteers Takes Time How a new way of parsing COVID-19 data began to show the breadth of health gaps between Blacks and whites Emergence of Kawasaki disease related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in an epicentre of the French COVID-19 epidemic: a time-series analysis Potential COVID-19 drug azithromycin may increase risk for cardiac events SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load Predicts Mortality in Patients with and Without Cancer Who Are Hospitalized with COVID-19 Emory University Epidemiologist On The Future Of COVID-19 Trump officials rush to introduce untested vaccine tracking system Prolonged low-dose methylprednisolone in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia Public trust in CDC, Fauci, and other top health officials is evaporating, poll finds The Great Vaccine Race: Inside the Unprecedented Scramble to Immunize the World Against COVID-19 Update Alert: Epidemiology of and Risk Factors for Coronavirus Infection in Health Care Workers First COVID-19 Global Forecast: IHME Projects Three-Quarters of a Million Lives Could be Saved by January 1 COVID-19 sparks 12-fold increase in remote delivery of mental health care across the US Rapid isothermal amplification and portable detection system for SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Vaccine Program Distribution, Tracking, and Monitoring Viewpoint of a WHO Advisory Group Tasked to Consider Establishing a Closely-Monitored Challenge Model of COVID-19 in Healthy Volunteers CDC director attempts to clarify controversial Covid-19 testing guidelines Internet Searches for Acute Anxiety During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic How COVID-19 Could Aggravate the Homelessness Crisis? From Resolve to Save Lives- Promoting mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A POLICYMAKER’S GUIDE Long-Haulers Are Redefining COVID-19 MMWR Weekly COVID-19 Briefing is a weekly podcast to update readers on the latest scientific information from CDC’s COVID-19 response. In each episode, MMWR’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Charlotte Kent provides an overview of the latest scientific information published in MMWR. New episodes are posted every Monday. Listen to episodes here. Listen to the Kaiser Health News podcast ‘What The Health?’: ‘Open The Schools, Close The Bars’ Covid-19 vaccine research must involve Black and Latinx participants. Here are 4 ways to make that happen Vaccine Access and Hesitancy: The Public Health Importance of Vaccines Johns Hopkins data capture. Other tracking data here.
Common Acronyms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Central Command (CENTCOM), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), Executive Order (EO), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
From NYT's vaccine tracker. 11.12.20
Cumulative totals of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, recovered, and deaths within the DoD. Source: https://www.defense.gov/explore/spotlight/coronavirus/
(Updated 11.12.20 from CDC's platform.) For more information, visit CDC’s Novel Coronavirus 2019 website or the WHO's dashboard.
David R. Adelman Principal & Director | Government Affairs